CLEVELAND -- City workers took down the Occupy Cleveland tent early Thursday morning that protesters have been using as a symbol through the winter.

The 3 a.m. removal of the tent was described as peaceful. The protesters, city workers and police all understood the situation.

Next came the removal of tables and chairs situated in the area. City workers had given a verbal deadline to remove those items by Thursday morning -- presumably sometime after sunrise.

Protesters will still be allowed to protest in a designated public space around Public Square.

The group says the permit that was not renewed was a sidewalk encroachment permit for the West Roadway at Public Square.

The city's decision comes after five men who had attended Occupy protests were arrested in a bridge bombing plot.

The city says the decision was not related to those arrests.

Occupy Cleveland condemned the plot and issued a statement on its Facebook page Tuesday saying, "While the group arrested Monday evening by the FBI were associated with Occupy Cleveland they were in no way representing or acting on behalf of Occupy Cleveland..."

Occupy Cleveland says it will continue to have a presence in the Mayor Tom Johnson/Free Speech quadrant of Public Square and hold events around the city.